Feb. 20, 2002 1/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Audience Analysis Thomas L. Warren Oklahoma...

Feb. 20, 2002 1/35 Sponsored by

SMSU Student Chapter

Audience Analysis

Thomas L. WarrenOklahoma State University

[email protected]/artsci/

techwr



“Noise” can occur at any point in the process.

Technical Communication Model

Communication occurs in a context: Interpersonal, Group, Organization, Mass

Feedback

Data Data

Feedback

Information Information

Feedback

Encoded Decoded

Sender Message Medium Receiver

Feedback



How do Readers Read?

• Skim• Scan• Search



Implications

• SKIMPurpose: Get driftImplication: Summaries

• SCANPurpose: Find itemImplication: Headings

• SEARCHPurpose: In-depth readingImplication: Details



Audiences

• Three possible audiencesIdeal—Usually infer BEFORE

writingDerived—Usually develop

DURING writing; based on textActual—Those who ACTUALLY

read text



Some Reader Types

• Lay• Executive• Expert• Technician• Operator



Lay vs. Expert: I

CATEGORY LAY EXPERT

Education Elem. To Ph.D.

Advanced degrees; experience

In/Out Subject Out In

Theory/ Application

Application Theory

Why Read? Practical, Personal

Learn; verify



Lay vs. Expert: II

CATEGORY LAY EXPERT

Technical data Avoid Body/Appendix

Background Full; simple Sources

Analogy Lots; narration; examples

Not necessarily

Definitions Lots Special terms only



Lay vs. Expert: III

CATEGORY LAY EXPERT

Style Plain; S-V-O 90%; 15 wds/sent; 40 wds/paragraph

Complex; S-V-O <85%; 25 wds/sent; 150 wds/paragraph

Graphics No tables; simple other forms

All OK

Math None to very simple

No problem



Audience Analysis

• Three approaches to audience analysisDemographic—What you can

ask about and countOrganizational—Role of

individual in organizationPsychological—What reader

needs to know, how reader can understand, action expected



Demographic

• Education—how much formal education?

• Marital Status—married, single, etc.

• Sex—male, female• Income/Employment Status—

earnings; working/retired; etc.• Address—where live• Children—number, ages, etc.



Sample Implications

Characteristic Implications for Audience Analysis

Education Processing written and visual text

Marital Status Helps to know attitudes and values

Income/Employment Status

Amount of time can spend on report



Organization

M ary B arn h ard t

W ally G erson

S a lly Taylo r

K a th y H u g h es

B ill M on roe

W ayn e Jon es

Joh n C ross

D ick L eavitt

Jan ice A u s tin

Joh n S m ithM an ag er



Implications

• Suggests what reader going to do with informationManager—larger picture,

planning, scheduling, decidingWorkers—how work fits in,

questioning, collecting information



Organization, cont.

• In your own group• In close proximity• Elsewhere in organization• Outside organization



Comparison with School

AUDIENCE SCHOOL JOB

In own group Classmates Co-workers, group leaders, support staff

Close proximity

Professor; lab instructor

Managers

Elsewhere Department heads, V-P

Outside Customers, government



ANALYSIS: Classroom vs Job

Practices/Procedures Practices/Procedures studied in class studied in class for academic writing for on-the job writing

Rules- Reader- Strive toStrive for the based based complete jobhighest level errors errorsof perfection Time-

drivenPerfection-Driven Solves problem

AccuratePerfection: CompleteMechanically, Stylistically, Orderly, CorrectOrganizationally expression



Organizational(Mathes and Stevenson)

You in your professional role

Input from the system to you

Your technical activities

Your report writing

activities

Output from you to the system

Feedback to you



Psychological:Three Questions

• What does my reader NEED to know?

• How can I help my reader to UNDERSTAND?

• What do I want my reader TO DO with the information?



Three Questions

• What does the reader NEED to know?QuantityContent



Three Questions

• How can I help my reader to UNDERSTAND the material?Definitions, visuals, etc.Sentence and paragraph length

and structureBackground informationQualitative details (technical)Clear statements of purpose

and function



Three Questions

• What do I want my reader TO DO with the information?Approve or disapproveAccept a recommendationTake some other kind of actionBe informed onlyOther

• How will I know that my report is a GOOD one?



Additional Elements to Consider

• Culture• Environment• Attitudes toward

WriterSubjectActivity



Cultural Considerations

• Attitudes of culture towardTime—value it? little value?Goals—individual? group?Reliance—self-reliant?

dependent on group?Learning—to do a job only? on-

going?



Environment

• Location where document used—legibility issues

• Access time—short/long• Pressures—rapid response; slow

response



Attitudes

• Relating to writer, subject, reportWriter—positive? negative?Subject—interested? not?

favorable? unfavorable?Report—anxious to have? yet

one more to get through?



Manipulating Text

• Control, among other things—Vocabulary—level of technicalitySentence structure—complex,

simpleSentence structure—old-new

informationParagraph structure—placement

of elements



Old/New and Sentence Structure

The lens focuses the laser beam to a sharp hot point at which the air explodes with a bright red flash.

The point where the laser beam is brought to a focus, the air is ionized by the intense heat and a brilliant red flash is produced.

Lens focuses laser beam to sharp point where air molecules explode with bright red flash.

Old information—what you assume the reader already knows.

New information—what you assume the reader does not already know.



Look at Some Samples

• Watch for what helps you identify the assumed reader:Vocabulary—technical,

everyday, etc.?Length of sentencesWhat is old information in

each? What is new?Where would you use each?



Samples: How are they different?

The lens focuses the laser beam to a sharp hot point at which the air explodes with a bright red flash.

The point where the laser beam is brought to a focus, the air is ionized by the intense heat and a brilliant red flash is produced.

Lens focuses laser beam to sharp point where air molecules explode with bright red flash.



Samples cont.

See Fig. 4-1. Laser A emits coherent Beam B. Lens C focuses rays to sharp point D at which air ionizes and explodes.

Traversing the lens, the laser beam forgets its storied coherence and converges to a pin point where it generates the heat of fifty suns. The air molecules thither are burst asunder, a ruby flash and cerulean puff signaling their extinction.



Samples cont.

The Wright Electric Type 14 ruby laser (oscillator-amplifier configuration) emits a coherent deep red light (0.69 microns) in a 100-milliwatt peak power burst. When the rays are brought to a focus at a point at a point 2 inches beyond the General Optics A-30 biconvex lens through which the rays pass, the light there generates enough heat to ionize the air molecules in a 0.5-millisecond point explosion accompanied by a bright flash.



Samples cont.

Satisfactory optics in combination with state-of-the-art laser electronics actualize narrowly localized heating at a discrete point in space. This is evidenced by the transient radiant phenomenon visible at the focus.



Audience Analysis: And finally . . .

• Understanding your audience improves communication

• Three approaches—overlapDemographicOrganizationalPsychological

• Important thing is to do it



Questions? Contact

Thomas L. Warren, Professor & Director

Technical Writing Program/M205English Department

Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK [email protected]

www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr

Feb. 20, 2002 1/35 Sponsored by SMSU Student Chapter Audience Analysis Thomas L. Warren Oklahoma...

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